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Pandora is looking for a buyer
Pandora's recent relaunch as a Premium on-demand streaming service helped to boost CEO Tim Westergren's case that the company was prepared to take on its bigger rivals like Spotify and Apple Music. The company also made a significant investment in its future by buying up Rdio's design team and later revving up its marketing push to lure new users away from the competition. Now, with the ship apparently headed in the right direction, it appears Pandora is putting itself up for sale and possibly trying to get out while the getting is good. According to a new report from CNBC, Pandora is currently in the process of closing a $150 million investment from hedge fund and private equity firm KKR. As part of the deal, a KKR executive will get a seat on Pandora's board while two current members will step down, but until the deal closes in 30 days, the company is positioning itself as an attractive target for acquisition. "Having secured a significant financial commitment from KKR to strengthen the Company's balance sheet," outgoing Pandora board member James M. P. Feuille said in a statement, "we have positioned the Company to evaluate any potential strategic alternatives, including a sale, in the 30 days before the financing is set to close." While Feuille believes Pandora's future is "exciting," a potential sale could bring a lot of uncertainty for Pandora die-hards and scare off potential new users -- some of whom might like to know if the service will still be around at the end of their 30-day free trial. On the other hand, just because Pandora is making itself available doesn't necessarily mean the company wants to get out of the game entirely. If an attractive buyer doesn't come through, the KKR investment is still a healthy infusion of cash for a popular service that is consistently among the top grossing music apps in the App Store.
Pandora's new on-demand music service is beautiful, but is that enough?
Rdio wasn't the first streaming-music service I used, but it remains the one that I've used the longest. A combination of smart discovery, social features and excellent design (something most music services still can't nail) made it a great option, but it couldn't attract subscribers the way Spotify could. Eventually, Rdio shut down -- but at the same time, Pandora acquired its assets, which the company used to build Pandora Premium. Today that service is finally ready to launch. As announced in December, Pandora Premium is a combination of traditional radio stations as well as an on-demand competitor to Spotify and Apple Music (with the same $10-per-month price, to boot). Both of those rival services have been rapidly gaining subscribers as of late. The question Pandora has to answer is not only whether Premium can compete but also whether there's enough of an audience for it in an already crowded market.
Pandora officially unveils its long-awaited Spotify competitor
It isn't a secret that Pandora was planning to launch a full-fledged Spotify competitor. The company said as much last year when it bought Rdio, which had filed for bankruptcy. But today, at a lavish event in New York City, Pandora gave a small group of VIPs and reporters a look at the new streaming service. It's called Pandora Premium, and, as you'd expect, it offers on-demand access to a massive music catalog. And it looks a lot like Rdio, from the brief glance we have seen so far. But Pandora is leveraging the years of information it has about how its users listen to music to provide the all-important recommendations necessary to help people find new songs.
Pandora's new website points to an on-demand future
Pandora has generated a lot of buzz about its rumored on-demand platform based on Rdio, and is working on an extensive re-branding ahead of that. It recently unveiled a new logo, and today launched a completely revamped website. As part of the new changes, you'll now see radio stations in a grid of album art instead of an ordered list, much like with Google Play Music. The control bar with thumbs up/thumbs down, play, pause and song information has moved from the top of the screen to the very bottom now as well.
Pretend Rdio never died with this Spotify theme
Remember Rdio? I do. A beautiful music streaming service that was eventually outmuscled by Spotify, Google Play Music and the like. If you miss its light, well-considered design like I do, you might be interested in "Spotio," a new Spotify theme by designer and writer Devin Halladay. The legality of his work is a tad questionable, but until it's pulled by Spotify's overlords you can grab it right here. You'll need to set your Mac's security preferences to accept apps from "anywhere," and close the regular version from Spotify HQ. Then it's just a matter of deleting the original app from your Mac, should you prefer Halladay's Rdio-inspired alternative.
Pandora's new streaming service could launch as soon as September
We've know about Pandora's plan to turn the remaining pieces of Rdio into its own subscription service for some time now, but thanks to The Wall Street Journal, we know that the launch could be imminent. WSJ reports that the company is close to securing the necessary licensing deals for the new paid service in both the US and abroad. The media outlet's sources indicate that in addition to a free tier, there will also be two paid options -- a detail we've heard the company's CEO discuss in the past. We surmise that listening for free means that you'll have to suffer through some ads, but that's something Pandora will likely confirm at launch.
Pandora ends its war with two major music publishers
If there's one thing that Pandora likes, it's a fight, but even the firm that bought an FM radio station to stick it to the man has limits. The outfit has decided to make peace with two of its most formidable adversaries: music licensing agencies ASCAP and BMI. Pandora has revealed that it's signed a new, multi-year deal with both entities that'll see it pay what'll probably be a higher fee every time one of their songs is played. Naturally, the terms of the agreements are being kept secret, but USA Today thinks that it'll be above the 2.5 / 1.75 percent that BMI and ASCAP, respectively, currently earn.
Rdio will shut down for good in one week
It's been a couple of weeks since Rdio announced its bankruptcy and plans to become a part of Pandora, and now we know exactly when it will shut down. The music service emailed subscribers tonight informing them it will shut down worldwide on December 22nd, at approximately 5PM PT (8PM ET). Until then subscribers can continue listening to the free ad-supported version of Rdio and using the "Farewell" feature to look back at their activity and export data like playlists, favorites and comments -- but a week from tonight it will be all over.Update (12/22): Right on schedule, Rdio.com turned out the lights and is now only displaying an error message.
Rdio bids farewell with a look at your favorite songs (updated)
Rdio has one last treat for you before it rides into the sunset following Pandora's acquisition. Visit a special farewell site and you not only have a handy place to export your data, but a retrospective look at your listening habits. You'll know what you first played, what your favorites were, and who you shared tracks with. It's hard not to get a little misty -- in some ways, this is like digging up a mix CD you made in high school. Still, it's good to see Rdio acknowledging that you're losing a part of your history, not just some playlists.
Some Rdio staffers will lose their jobs during Pandora takeover
A few weeks back, we reported that Rdio's collapse was going to hurt Sony, Roku and Shazam -- companies that it still owed money to when it went under. Now, VentureBeat has discovered that 123 of the defunct firm's employees are going to be laid-off between now and the end of the year. The information comes from a WARN disclosure, a legal document that gives the state 60 days notice before a mass-firing, that the company posted to California's employment department. New owner Pandora, meanwhile, has said that it'll offer 100 jobs to Rdio's former employees, mostly in the product engineering and licensing teams. Update: This post has been updated to reflect that Pandora is not laying off Rdio's employees directly. Rdio has also provided the following statement."As is required by law, Rdio issued WARN notices of layoffs to all 123 employees in the United States. Pandora has announced plans to hire approximately 100 of our employees after the bankruptcy court approves the transaction and the deal closes, which means the majority of Rdio employees will continue having jobs."
Rdio will transition subscribers to free accounts after November 23rd
Following the news of Rdio's bankruptcy filing and sale to Pandora, the company offered some details on how its users can expect their streaming accounts to ride off into the sunset. Starting November 23rd, the service will no longer accept new customers and current subscribers can expect their accounts to be cancelled on the next billing date. When that happens, you'll still be able to listen to the free ad-supported version of Rdio until it shuts down completely, but the company hasn't given a specific date for that just yet. Rdio plans to let users export their data, including playlists and favorites before it's shuttered for good. The deal with Pandora is set to close in early 2016, and we'd surmise Rdio's brand of streaming will stick around in a limited form until then.
Too good to survive: The rise and fall of Rdio
Spotify is probably how most Americans were introduced to streaming music over the last four years or so -- the service has grown by leaps and bounds since it launched in the US in July of 2011. But a relatively small group of music fans were enjoying pretty much all that Spotify had to offer months before it hit the US. That group was using Rdio, and we'll now have to find a new option: Rdio will be dead soon, sold off to Pandora in a bankruptcy deal. The service will remain a cautionary tale about the brutality of survival in the streaming music world. A great product is important, but it's clearly not enough.
Rdio's collapse will hurt Sony, Roku and Shazam
When a company goes under, the firms that it still owes money to have to bear the pain of those unpaid debts. Rdio's collapse has, unfortunately, sent ramifications through the tech and music industries that'll see firms like Roku and Shazam reaching for the Tylenol. Music Business Worldwide is claiming to have details of Rdio's bankruptcy filing that reveals that it owed $2.7 million to Roku and $1.7 million to Shazam. In addition, the service had promised Sony Music $2.4 million and Facebook $495,000. Ouch.
As Rdio files for bankruptcy, Pandora picks it up for $75 million
Pandora, already one of the biggest players in the music streaming space, has just announced it is acquiring "key assets" from fellow streaming service Rdio for $75 million. However, this isn't just a standard case of one company buying another -- Pandora's press release says the deal is contingent upon Rdio "seeking protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California." It sounds as if Rdio has finally run out of cash while trying to compete with giants like Spotify and Apple Music, and Pandora will be stepping in to use its technology to enhance its platform. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2016.
George Harrison's solo catalog is available at most streaming services
If you enjoy listening to solo work from members of The Beatles, the library of options just got larger. The solo catalog of guitarist George Harrison hit most music streaming services today. This means that you'll be able to access the musician's tracks on the likes of Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, Rdio, Spotify, Tidal and others, including albums like Living in the Material World. If you aren't familiar with Harrison's solo music, now's a good time to get acquainted. The newly-posted albums join those of former bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on streaming services, but the music of the group as a whole remains off limits there. To make things easy for you, we've embedded All Things Must Pass on the other side of the break. [Image credit: AP Photo/Brich]
Rdio hits Harman/Kardon and Denon connected speakers, Samsung TVs
If you prefer Rdio's brand of music streaming, there are some new options for connected speakers and smart TVs that play nice with the service. The audio subscription (including its free tier) is now available on Harman/Kardon and Denon audio gear and Samsung's line of smart TVs. What's more, Rdio will soon launch on connected TVs from Hisense and LG as well. These devices join Rdio's list of in-home tech that already includes the likes of Sonos, Roku, Amazon TV, Chromecast and more. The music app also plays nice with Google Cast, so you can employ it on compatible speaker setups from LG and Sony.
Dr. Dre's 'Compton' makes its way to Google Music, Rdio and others
Apple Music's exclusive grip on Dr. Dre's new album lasted two weeks. Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre is now streaming from the likes of Google Play, Deezer, Tidal, Rdio and Rhapsody based on our quick look through music services. It's still absent from Spotify, though, perhaps due to its free tier that many artists aren't too thrilled about. If you didn't sign up for Cupertino's free trial, you can now give it a spin from the aforementioned repositories -- just in time for the weekend. We're curious to see if the Apple Music exclusive period in the future remains at 14 days or if it changes with each release.
Rdio adds free live radio stations to its streaming library
Apple Music has Beats1, and now Rdio has live radio, too. Rdio announced today that in addition to its library of 35 million songs and curated stations, it's tacking on live broadcast radio with access to "nearly 500 stations." You can browse the full list here, but for starters you can expect 93.9 The Beat in Indianapolis, 95.5 KLOS in LA, 95.5 NASH Icon in Nashville, NASH FM 94.7 in New York and KFOG in San Francisco thanks to Cumulus Radio. Westwood One is also chipping in, which means you'll be able to listen to 24/7 sports talk and game coverage of events like NCAA March Madness. What's more, there will be on-demand access to those talk shows (The Jim Rome Show, The Doug Gottlieb Show and others) in what we'd surmise is a podcast-like repository. You'll be able to stream your local favorites and stations broadcasting in other cities, too.
Shazam update adds songs to Spotify and Rdio playlists
Shazam is great for discovering new music and settling a friendly bet. While you could already listen to full-length songs from Rdio or Spotify inside the app, now you can add identified tunes to your playlists parked at those two streaming services, too. Without leaving Shazam, simply hit the plus in the top right corner of the screen after the app gives you the track details. Shazam will then display a list of saved playlists for you to choose from. Once you make a selection, you're directed back to the song page in the music discovery app. I gave it a shot this afternoon and it works well, especially if you want to put a song somewhere other than the playlist that Shazam automatically creates, and continually populates, for songs after you link your streaming subscription.
Rdio adds new options to its list of curated stations
Rdio has been keen on serving up curated stations for your listening pleasure for some time now, but today the streaming service added even more options. Like the existing selections, the new stations are curated by record labels and a smattering of "cultural influencers." The latter variety includes stations from Hype Machine, the folks at Yelp NYC and more. In terms of label stations, you can expect to see curated audio from Arts & Crafts, Blue Note Records, DFA Records, Glassnote Records and more available through the app (depending on your location). These join the long list of current options from the likes of A.V. Club, Def Jam and Sub Pop. If you'd rather have a bit more choice than an "always on" broadcast affords, you might want to give Rdio's station list a look.
